Lovely lazy Saturday

Another lovely lazy Saturday morning on T.I. It's a tad windy - which I don't mind - and even a bit overcast.

This morning we had our regular Saturday markets in the Port Kenedy hall. Normally they're held once a month but in the tourist season we have them every fortnight. It's a wonderful array of all things Torres Strait - jewellery, clothes, mats, books, craft and art work. And as you would expect Rotary has a very important presence - the sausage sizzle :)

After my market stint, Rob, Kacee and I wandered down Douglas Street. First stop - the coffee shop. Don't worry if there isn't a table - everyone is happy to share. I've met some lovely people this way - a couple from Cairns, and a visitor from Brisbane who used to live here and was back with his young son staying with friends.

Then into Mona's to buy that scarf I've been eyeing off and a chat with Julie who has a very bubbly personality and makes you want to go into the shop even if you're not buying.

Next stop - the newsagent or Col Jones - whichever, the locals know where you mean. I waited outside and chatted with Helen, the school princpal. She was selling tickets to the Wongai Ball which is the major fund raiser for the Catholic school and is THE event of the social calender of T.I. Yes - we're going :)

We're home now. Rob is off at the hardware shop - even on Thursday Island some Saturday morning rituals do not change - Kacee is asleep on the couch and I'm sitting here pondering and feeling content.

What would make it perfect? A hug from my kids. But that will happen in a couple of month's time. Until then, I live in the now, enjoy the now and look forward to the future.

Life is good.

What's happening?

This Friday morning I'm being inducted into Rotary. There is a process before this happens - I've had to attend at least four meetings, help at two market BBQs and work at the monthly beach clean ups. The executive then meets and talks about me and votes to invite me to join.

My sponsor then formally asked if I wanted to become a member and I accepted. So this Friday is the culmination of that process. Rob of course will be there. In fact he was the one who got me interested. He had been asked to join soon after arriving on the island, but his job makes it hard for him to commit to the regular meetings so I happily stepped in.

The T.I. Rotary club meets every Friday morning for breakfast and every three months we have a meeting assembly - this is where we see what we're doing, how it's working and plan for the future direction of the club. I attended my first meeting assembly last Sunday. Lots of good ideas were bandied around and it's exciting to be a part of such a dynamic and energetic group.

The pilot house is playing host to a meeting assembly of sorts. Our board of directors is here for two days and like the Rotary meeting they are here to see what's happening, how it's happening and what they want to happen in the future.

Tonight we're hosting a soireee - yes a soiree on T.I. - to meet and greet the local business community. Chef has been busy planning a menu and delegating jobs to very eager helpers. I'm making mini quiche and island themed dips :) The outdoor area will be decorated with palm leaves, bouganvillea flowers and greenery. Rob and I are looking forward to playing hosts and to be a part of the future of this exciting and growing industry.

And so ends my two months on T.I. That's how long I came up for - 2 months - to see how it would be, how I'd like it, to be with Rob, to have an adventure. Sunday marked two months since I arrived. I've had a sort of meeting assembly with myself - what's been happening, what am I doing now and what do I want to do.

And I've decided ....... I'm not leaving just yet. I'm having too much fun. I like being a part of this community - through work, volunteering, getting involved - finding my strengths and stretching my comfort zone (a little bit at a time).

So my faithful followers, I will continue to keep you updated with life on T.I. I will continue to share my thoughts and feelings about this amazing beautiful island so far away from my home, my family, my friends but yet becoming bit by bit a part of me as well.

Life on T.I. - life is good.

A list of things

Top: See-Hops one of our 'supermarkets' - they sell everything, groceries, furniture and floor coverings.

Bottom: Main street, Douglas St. The yellow shop is the video shop. The shops at the top of the pic is Col Jones. This houses the newsagent, homewares, shoes, RetraVision, Billabong - it's THE shop.

Things I like about Thursday Island:

• everybody is friendly - people say hello and smile at you in the street
• I can walk almost everywhere - to the shops, the coffee shop, church, work - everywhere
• Rob and I don't have to take turns at designated driver because we can walk home
• there are no traffic lights
• there is no traffic
• the beach is at the end of our street and the water is a beautiful blue/green colour
• if you want to, there are many community activities to become involved in - it's a matter of putting yourself out there
• sometimes getting a job is as easy as talking to somebody who will mention it to somebody else
• living at the pilot house, while challenging at times, is showing me how to let go and live in the now
• the island has a nice feel about it. I'm enjoying our new lifestyle

Things I'm still getting my head around:

• bare feet - it's not unusual to go into any shop or business and be met by a person, black or white, well dressed and in bare feet. Those of you who know me know that I don't do thongs, but I tell you, I think a pair of thongs is preferable to bare feet. I mean, even in church ......
• bare shelves in the supermarket. The barge comes once or twice a week, depending on .... actually I don't know what it depends on. All I know is that some days the shelves are stocked and that once they empty they can be that way for a while. I'm learning now to stock up - if I see what I want I don't buy one, I'll buy multiples because I don't know when it will be available again
• limited choices - in lots of things - eating out, places to go to, in the shops. While our needs are certainly met, sometimes I do miss being able to buy my favourite brand. To that end, I have enlisted the help of my daughter Nikki who is now my logisitics person in Brisbane. Hopefully she can keep me supplied with my favourite things like moisturiser, deoderant, perfume - all those little things that will help me to feel still connected to home.
• no fresh flowers. My flower seeds are not coming to bloom - the soil is starving. Luckily our lovely neighbour, George, is helping us to feed the soil and then we can plant and be confident of a crop. George teaches horticulture at the TAFE college, so this man knows his stuff.
• no Tupperware :) The shops do sell Decor, but whenever I need to store something I think of what I have at home and bemoan the fact that I'm now using empty takeaway containers. Having said that, there is a Tupperware lady on the island. Rob went to a party a couple of months ago - yes, he has a strong feminine side - and ordered. But being a boy he bought gadgety things and not the practical storage containers
• privacy - what's that? I have to remember sometimes that we are not alone - blinds need to be drawn and cover ups need to be worn. Eating breakfast outside in my PJs is no longer an option - thank you to my darling daughter Vera for buying me that beautiful kimono on your last holiday

Things I don't like about Thursday Island:

• the distance from my loved ones. My Mum, and my 3 beautiful children are not within hugging distance

As you can see there are more positives than negatives, although the negative is a big one for me. But for now, for me, where I am, how I am - this is good - life is good :)

Thank you for being a friend

Pic: View from our table at Pelican Cafe, Wynnum

Before I came up here I had the most amazing week. My lovely friends and workmates wanted to farewell me and there were breakfasts, lunches and a few dinners - I was afraid I'd be the excess baggage on the flight!

And one of the highlights for me was a lunch on the Saturday that sort of stretched into the early evening and probably would have gone on longer had one of us not had to go back to Caboolture. The lunch in question was at the Pelican Cafe on the esplanade at Wynnum and my partners in crime are my two very good and very dear friends from high school - Julie and Moya. In fact Julie and I go back even further - we met in year 3, or grade 3 as it used to be called.

What's brought this on is that both these beautiful women have texted me to tell me how much they're enjoying reading my blog. It's such a buzz to know that people are taking the trouble to log in and read my musings, but what's even more humbling is when they take the time to tell me, either through texts, email or comments. So guys - thank you so much xo

But back to the lunch. Picture this: a cafe across from the beach at Wynnum with views of the water and neighbouring islands. There is also a park which is very popular with young families - there's a playground and lots of paths and grass to ride bikes and play around.

The cafe is basically a fish and chip shop with plastic tables and chairs out the front. You order at the counter and they call your number when it's ready. Julie - being the project manager of this lunch, had phoned ahead and asked if we could BYO - after all it was a special occassion. Of course, no problem - just bring your own glasses too :)

So here we were - 3 not bad looking chicks in their mid 50s - yes girls, come on say it out loud "mid 50s" - sitting at plastic furniture, eating fish and chips and drinking champagne out of very elegant flutes. And just like the wine, conversation flowed freely and laughter was very much on the menu too.

After lunch and before coffee, we went for a stroll along the jetty and came back to our table to continue. And to our delight, in our short absence an entertainer had set up with her sound system and we were now privileged to hear some wonderful singing from a lovely young woman with a husky voice.

That day is in the bank, in the memory vault - to be brought out at times like this when I want to reminisce and share. I can remember savouring every second of that afternoon. It didn't fly by - it went at the right pace.

Old friendships are so precious. Unfortunately we go for months, even years, without seeing each other, but when we do get together, it's magic. The time falls away and we pick up from where we left off. All three of us have been busy with life - stuff good and bad has happened - and we shared it openly because we knew that we were with friends, we trusted each other with our hearts and our feelings and we knew that those feelings would be looked after and cared for.

So - Julie, Moya - I'm looking forward to my welcome home lunch, I'm looking forward to carrying on from Saturday afternoon. I'm looking forward to sharing food, wine and more laughter, looking forward to photographs, funny stories, family stories, husband stories. Looking forward to telling you .....thank you for being a friend. S xoxo

Wet bum, no fish

Once a month a group of dedicated Rotarians head down to the beach, put on a pair of gloves and start to fill big orange plastic bags with rubbish - it's a beach clean-up :) I must admit I love it. I really enjoy working on an area and seeing it get cleared of cans, bottles, plastic bags, empty wine bladders and lots and lots of broken glass :(

When we've finished, we put all the bags in a designated spot and the council comes by later and picks them up. But by this time tomorrow the litter bugs will have already started to reclaim the beach and by next month we'll have as much to clean up as ever.

After the beach clean up it was back home for a shower, breakfast, a few daily chores and I went to work. And wouldn't you know it? The day I don't bring my lunch is the day I work the longer hours. But thank goodness for fruit, a very healthy fruit bar and of course a few cups of coffee and I managed to get home in a semi-lucid state. Rob gets afraid when I'm hungry and I can't eat - he says I change before his eyes - so for his sake I had a sandwich at home before going to see him and tell him about my day :)

I found him getting ready for a fishing trip on one of the pilot boats. The crew will sometimes throw a line into the water if they have to wait around for a ship - and as there was to be some spare time tonight between a boarding and a landing, Rob wanted to go with them. The weather and the water were ideal so he felt confident of impressing me with a fine catch.

So while he played hunter, or rather, fisher and gatherer I did my usual afternoon stuff - an afternoon walk with Kacee, a bit of a play in the garden and then back into the cosiness of our little unit to read, blog, and just enjoy the end of a very nice day.

Rob is home now. He sent me a text while on his way back. The first one read - "I love you" the next one read - "wet bum, no fish". I knew he'd had a good time though - he was chilled out, he'd had a few laughs with the crew and now he's back into the cosiness of our unit ready to enjoy the end of his rather stressful day.

He doesn't do Rotary, I don't do fishing - he doesn't walk (although he should), I don't fish (oh wait, I've already said that). But I'm happy that he can fish, that his job gives him that flexibilty to go when he wants, if he wants. And I know that he is delighted for me that I am finding so much pleasure in joining in with the T.I. community.

Doing our own thing and then getting together - life is good :)

TSIREC

Yesterday I started a job, a real job :) I'm working for TSIREC - Torres Strait Islanders' Regional Educational Council. I'm the assistant to the business manager and will be for the next four weeks. TSIREC is organising a forum called "Selecting Informed Choices" which they will take to all the schools on the outer islands in the Torres Strait - 16 campuses.

The aim of the forum is to meet with both parents and kids to convince them of the need for the children to continue on to high school. To this end, we have a travelling troupe which will fly to each island, set up at the local school or community centre, host a BBQ and then give a presentation.

My job is to organise the flights (light planes and helicopters), arrange for accommodation, organise the catering and make sure it all happens on the day ..... from here on T.I. As stated in a previous post "I will never ever get into a helicopter ever again" or words to that effect. I must admit after I'd accepted the job and we were discussing travel I had a momentary panic attack thinking that maybe I was one of the travelling troupe.

I'm quite enjoying it, the whole work thing - going to an office, being so busy that you don't notice the time, feeling productive, feeling professional. I left all my corporate wear back home - didn't know what I would be doing here, and anyway it's T.I. - they dress casually. But I do like to dress up for work so I'm being very creative with what I've got - it's surprising what a scarf and dressy shoes can do to an outfit :)

The job is casual hours and at this stage I'll be working three days a week for the next four weeks. But for now, I'm day 2 into the job and all I know is that I want to give it my best shot. And at all times I need to remember that this is T.I. and anything that I do will happen faster and ..... well - it will just happen.

Who knows where this will lead to? Will it lead to someting else? Whatever happens I can add this to my T.I. experience - and to my CV. And I hope too that if Katie needs help again, she will ask me. And if she knows of anyone who needs an assistant, she will recommend me.

But in the meantime, getting back into the office - life is busy.

Hungry Night

Last night Rob and I went to a Hungry Night. I can see you all thinking that it must be some sort of Thursday Island ritual. Well it is ..... sort of :)

The local Rotary club hosts a Hungry Night roughly once a month. We meet at someone's house and everybody brings something to eat. I made a beef bourguignon (it was Bastille Day on Wednesday, so I thought I'd stay in theme) and a batch of chocolate brownies for dessert.

Now about two years ago Rob and I went to Norfolk Island for a week - he'd been working on a project and they needed him to go over and do some hands on training. And in the course of that week we met some wonderful people and consequently were invited to one of their Pot Luck Dinners. Same thing - we met at someone's house and everybody brought something to eat. Rob and I ordered a cheese platter from the local deli as we were staying in a motel and I didn't really have the facilites or equipment to make anything.

And last night I realised that it doesn't matter where you are - people coming together in fellowship and sharing a meal is such an open display of friendship and good will. Both nights were hosted by a different group of people and in a totally different place. But some things were the same - the wonderful array of food, the relaxed atmosphere, the fun and camaradarie.

Each cook offers their contribution with the hope that you really like it. And we do because we know that anything made, and then offered with love is worth tasting, savouring - you know it will be good.

Sharing dinner with friends - life is good :)

Angels

Today I met 3 angels. Today I went from high to humble in the space of a few hours.

This morning I went for my first volunteer visit to the local aged care home, Star of the Sea (remember last week I had to organise a police check?). I was warmly welcomed by the director of nursing who introduced me to the staff on duty. Lorelle then took me around and introduced me to the residents sitting in the day room. Some greeted me, others just nodded, others were not at all interested.

The first hour went fairly fast and I met some lovely personalities. I heard the same stories over and over but I expected that. And then at lunch time one of the nurses asked would I assist her to feed the residents in one of the wards. Of course ...... I wanted to help as much as I could.

I met the most beautiful and loving souls - childlike, vulnerable, so dependent on the kindness of others, so trusting that we will look after them. I fed 2 residents - one male, Obe and one female, Jaub. I chatted away as if we were having a conversation - they could not speak coherently, but they answered in their own way. What is lovely is the way they smile at you when they pick up that you've said something funny.

But what brought a tear was when, at the end of the meal, they both looked me in the eyes and asked "what is your name?" as clear as a bell. I promised them both that I would be back next week to feed them and I got the most amazing smiles in response.

I came home feeling sad, humbled, elated, honoured and happy that I had made the time to go and do something that I had been wanting to do since arriving here on the island.

But the people I want to acknowledge and praise are the nursing staff - all 3 of them. 3 people - 3 amazing, kind, dedicated, caring, very overworked women - 3 angels. I witnessed them at work - they were gentle, stopping to caress and say a kind word, responding to the residents' needs with respect and treating them with dignity. They were short staffed today. Normally there's 5 of them.

I've heard about understaffing at nursing homes but today I saw it. And I also saw dedication, love, kindness and compassion. I gave 2 hours of my time and came away drained. These angels do it every day.

Today I found out that life is humbling.

Gardening Thursday Island

I'm sitting at our outdoor setting - breeze blowing, weather warm and fine - and looking straight at the large garden bed in the back yard of the house. Now I don't know the names of the plants in this bed - apart from fishtail ferns and palm trees - there's little elephant ear things, quite a few bulb plants that produce an orange flower, some other fern, and a pink malay (I know this one because I have it in a pot and it still has the tag). Oh .... and a satellite dish that sort of stands out amongst all the greenery :)

Before I moved up here this particular patch was untidy, overgrown and messy. But now when I look at it, it looks a tad different. It's not as cluttered, it's a lot tidier, and I can actually see the orange flowers - they're no longer hidden among the greenery. I've cleared away the undergrowth and trimmed the shrubs.

And now when I water the garden each afternoon, I can start to see a pattern, I can get an idea of what I want to plant, how I want it to look and how I can go about it.

It's a bit like my head. Lately it's been cluttered, full of undergrowth and crap. But today I took another walk to the foreshore to sit and think. Looking at the water is so relaxing and without even realising, my mind starts to clear and I can see things clearly, see what I want and how to go about it.

Today I went to see somebody about casual work. It's what I know, it's what I'm comfortable with and once I get back into the swing of it, it's what I'll be good at again. I hope I've made the right decision, because as we know things happen here when they happen, so it may be a while before I find out :)

In the mean time, I will continue to tidy and maintain the garden, clear out the weeds, re-pot, replant and reorganise. I will keep up the daily watering and watch with delight as the flowers start to bloom and the plants look healthy and green.

And as my garden grows, so will I. I'll grow more confident that life here is progressing at the right pace, at the right time (T.I.time?) and that when I least expect it, things will blossom.

Clearing out the garden in my head - life is falling into place.

Choices 2

Yesterday was not one of my better days. And while venting my frustrations at Rob, he patiently (how I hate that) reminded me that I had a choice - I could continue on with my tantrum or I could calmly (me? calm?) do something about it. Well if nothing else, it made me stop and think.

Now I don't say that I did calm down, but I got changed, packed a bag with water, fruit, a book and sunscreen and walked to the foreshore to sit on the grass, watch the water and read. Bit by bit I felt myself become calmer and my breathing become slower. I would have stayed longer but Rob rang from one of the pilot boats and asked me to help him co-ordinate a pick-up for an injured seaman.

So it was back to the office to ring the hospital and ambulance and in between make numerous calls back to Rob to confirm times (or ETA as we say here) and any status updates. Finally they arrived at the wharf with the patient - a young Fillipino ship's cook who had fallen down a set of stairs and broken his knee.

The focus had been completely taken off me and onto something else, or I should say someone else, more in need. Once the ambulance drove away Rob and I walked back arm in arm, pleased with a job well done - team work. And let's not forget the crew who carefully and expertly transferred the young man from ship to boat in a manouvre that would have been rather hair raising to say the least.

And what was my reward for a job well done? Well dinner at the Jardine of course :) Yes, we both made a choice yesterday - I chose to not blame Rob for how I was feeling and to take some time out for me to nourish my soul and to get back in tune with myself. And he chose (wisely) to do something special with me on a Saturday night.

Making better choices - life is good.

Choices

Last night Rob and I felt like takeaway. Here are our choices:
1. Island Rooster which sells chicken, chips, pizza
2. and ......... that's it.

I guess you could say that we have a choice within Island Rooster - do you want chicken, chips, or chicken and chips, or pizza, or pizza and chips, or pizza and chicken? .... the list is endless (eyes rolling).

So we decided to have carb and fat city. No that's not what they called it - it's what I called it because that's what it was - pizza and chips. I know!

Now if Rob and I had wanted to go out - then we would have had more to choose from. Our choices would have grown to a possible 4 venues!

* The Grand Hotel - well, you can order from the kitchen and eat in the pub, but you can't buy bottled wine (at a pub!) you have to buy by the glass. There is a restaurant there but it's closed for refurbishment and will reopen very soon as an asian restaurant.
* The Torres Hotel - but you don't want to eat there.
* The Federal Hotel - not bad, bit of atmosphere, new chef, new kitchen, generous serves - and you can buy wine by the bottle :)
* The Jardine - this is the swish place, where you go for special nights out. They have tapas every Friday night and regular themed nights - next Saturday is Mexican.

Ok I hear you saying - you do have a choice. Yes I do - but sometimes you just want to go somewhere else. Sometimes you want to try something new, something different.

But having too much choice can sometimes be confusing and can lead to nothing. I can think of many times back home when I would frustrate Rob no end with "I don't know what I want to do - you choose" and then giving his choice the thumbs down :) Sometimes, it's an advantage to be limited in what's available and then you have to make the best of that situation. And you do - if you're prepared to change your mindset.

So, now that's where I am. And so far I haven't had a problem with that. In fact, I haven't even felt like it's a case of making the most of it. I like what's here and how it is. I have slotted into life on T.I. very easily, in fact a lot easier than I had thought - and probably than most of my friends and family had thought too.

Yes, there are times when I become wistful and wish that it was like home - last night is probably a good example - but where's the fun in that? :) The difference is what is making this an adventure.

BTW - the chips were yummy, the pizza had a nice base but I could not find any topping (supposed to be seafood) and it was smothered in cheese. By the time I had peeled off the blanket of cheese, I ended up eating bread. Carb and fat city.

Learning to live differently - life is an adventure :)

T.I. time

You've got to love T.I. If you're in a hurry - forget it. If you think you're busy, well, you may be, but you still have to wait .

I was reminded of T.I. time again today -I must admit I'd sort of forgotten about it because to be honest, I have become pretty chilled out about things. But today I was busy, I was in a hurry, I had things to do, I had a schedule - a totally foreign concept on Thursday Island.

This morning I left the unit with a list. And one of my jobs was to return my library book. Now at that stage I had no intention of borrowing another as I am reading a book lent to me by a friend. But I can't help myself in a library, or a bookshop for that matter, and started to browse. And of course, found something :)

Book in hand I went to the desk and it was empty. I had seen a young man in the back corner sorting through brochures and I had assumed he was the librarian. He wasn't. So back to the desk to wait - she could be outside, in the ladies, in the back room - I'm sure she'll be back in a minute. She wasn't.

So being the busy woman that I am and not wanting to just walk out with the book - and also not wanting to leave it behind - I asked the receptionist in the foyer how do I borrow a book if the librarian is not there. She said "just leave a note" So I did :)

My next job was to go to the police station to organise and pay for a police check. I've applied to do volunteer work at the island nursing home and it's a requirement. When I walked in, the front counter was unoccupied so I rang the bell - the one that says 'ring for service'. Finally the officer in charge poked his head out of his office and came to assist. I gave him the completed form which he took to the back room and asked Naomi to process it so he could take my money. But Naomi was in the middle of doing something. He told her that I was waiting at the counter and Naomi repeated that she was in the middle of doing something but if "she really wants it she can leave her licence and when I finish doing this I'll call her to come and get it."

To his credit the officer looked a bit embarrassed when he relayed Naomi's message to me - I had overheard it anyway - and I graciously told him that I would come back later. Which I did and I met the lovely Naomi. She'd obviously finished her task and was now able to process my form and take my money. But it happened in her time and when she was ready. That's T.I. time.
Learning to chill out even more - life is amusing :)

What a day!

Tonight I rang my Mum - yes, Nelli :) It's the first anniversary of her husband's death and I wanted to call and see how she spent the day, how she coped. After she told me about her day, she then asked me about mine.

Well today was a mixed bag. It began with a phone call from one of my daughters - and that's always a great start to my day :) Then chef asked if I wanted to accompany her to the shops. Why not? And that was another pleasant interlude as we strolled into town, browsed, purchased and then strolled back home.

The day then took a rather nasty turn. We didn't reaslise that we were being followed, and after I left her in the front yard - me to go to the office, she to go to the kitchen - the person following us entered the yard and assaulted her. Thankfully she was not hurt although very badly shaken and upset. The matter has since been dealt with by his carers and the police. And more importantly Raquel is OK and very bravely went out again after the incident because she forgot to pick something up from the chemist. I told her she was under house arrest, but she ignored me :)

This afternoon I was Sadie the cleaning lady as our regular sadie did not turn up. Oh the joys of being the manager's partner :) Then off to Rotary to pack second hand clothes to be sent to PNG.

Around 5ish I try to go for my walk and then look after the garden - water the plants, tidy up and check on the flower seeds. Rob likes to join me in the yard so tonight we decided to knock down the front fence, carry the bricks to the trailer and separate them into two piles - one for fill and one for landscaping.

I am exhausted - and so is pup :) I'm showered, fed, tired, I have sore muscles and the dishes can sit in the sink until tomorrow morning. I-don't-care. But it's a good feeling. I've had a full day, a mixed day. Good things, bad things, mundane things, little things that mean a lot, little things that will bring people closer.

Lots happening today - life is interesting.

The best things in life are free

Today I'm going to make a gratitude list.

* Last night while enjoying the company of friends and a few glasses of wine, I stopped for a minute and felt so grateful for where I was and what I had.
* Last week at the craft market a local author was promoting and selling his new book - a self help book. There was a time when I would have picked it up, flicked through the pages and eventually purchased it. There was a time when I would have devoured the words inside as I used them to fill a need. But last week, I looked and put it down, smiled at the author and moved on. I didn't need it.
* Rob supports me in every way - emotionally, lovingly, unconditionally. This man is generous to a fault. He delights in all my triumphs. He is my best friend.
* I enjoy good health.
* I take my daily walk on a beach
* My puppy makes me laugh and melts my heart
* My Mum loves me and wants me to be happy
* My 3 kids love me and want me to be happy
* My favourite wine is available on Thursday Island
* I can enjoy a delicious cappuccino at our wonderful new coffee shop
* Thanks to regular watering and some TLC on my part the garden is looking good. The hibiscus flowers are red and healthy and the flower seedlings have produced little shoots.
* I live 2 blocks away from the water front. When I walk there I see the most beautiful view - blue/green water and other islands not too far away.

I could go on and on. This blog started as a gratitude journal, and along the way I've used it to record my time here on the island :) But every now and then I want to stop and remember .... and be grateful.

Life is good.

Feeling flat

Pic: Puppy after our run

Felt a bit flat today my friends. I had an appointment this morning and it was a no-show. I was very disappointed. I had left home with my notes and my folder feeling very Miss Efficient and Miss Important and I sat and waited in my favourite coffee shop for over half an hour to no avail. I have since received an apology and an offer to reschedule but I've opted to conduct my business by email. It's safer that way .... for now.

I told myself to get over it, that this is T.I. and T.I. time is different from normal time. But I still felt let down and that I deserved at least a phone call or a text message. I don't think it was my place to make contact.

But this afternoon I went for my walk. I took puppy with me and we had a great run along the beach. It was wonderful - the water blue, the day fine with a breeze - and my head cleared.

I came home, watered the plants and the flowers seeds (little shoots have appeared!) and sat with Rob to share a glass of delicious wine.

I feel better now - life is good :)